Qin Shuying got into the carriage, and Xu Peiwei said: “Seventh Cousin, why were you gone for so long?”

Qin Shuying replied: “The walnut cookies are delicious, so I had Lu Ye and the others buy some to take back and eat.”

Xu Peiwei and Qin Yunyun exchanged glances—such fine things bought for maids to eat? Just how much silver did she have on hand?

Thinking of her maternal family’s affairs, Xu Peiwei took a deep breath and smiled: “Seventh Cousin is truly a good mistress.”

Qin Shuying was nonchalant: “They’re just a few walnut cookies.”

The anger that Qin Yunyun had originally suppressed now rose inexplicably. Qin Shuying always spoke of gold and silver so lightly, yet didn’t know that others suffered under the torment of money.

If she were sensible, she should give more than half of what she received to Mother!

She should proactively share those jewelry pieces with herself!

But it wasn’t too late now. If she were gone, all those things would be entirely hers!

Thinking this, Qin Yunyun forcibly suppressed her anger, forced a smile, and said: “Seventh Sister is still the most reasonable—gold and silver are external possessions. As long as everyone is happy, what does it matter?”

Qin Shuying smiled faintly: “Sixth Sister speaks correctly. I bought a package for each of you sisters—please don’t disdain them.”

Qin Lulu was delighted: “Really? I thank you in advance!”

“We’re all sisters—what’s this talk of thanks? They’re just a few walnut cookies!”

The carriage started moving. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they turned onto another road. This road wasn’t as wide as the previous one, but could still accommodate two carriages side by side—this led to the craftsman’s workshop.

Before long, they indeed arrived at a shop with a tall signboard.

The shop had wide doors that stood open, displaying various exquisitely crafted woodwork inside—truly an excellent craft shop.

The matron beside Madam Xu brought the wooden bird up. When Madam Xu explained the situation to the shop assistant, someone came to examine the wooden bird. After studying it for a while, he said: “It’s not difficult, but it needs to be taken apart, which will require some time. If Madam can wait, please rest in the private room upstairs.”

Madam Xu looked toward Xu Peiwei, who said hurriedly: “Sister-in-law, since we’re already here, let’s wait. We won’t get back in the carriage—there are still some shops outside, so we should at least take a look.”

Qin Yunyun also said: “Yes, Cousin Sister-in-law, it’s rare that we’ve come out, so let’s not rush back.”

Madam Xu smiled: “I’ll go along with whatever you wish.”

Xu Peiwei was delighted and pulled Qin Yunyun along, then said to Qin Shuying and Qin Lulu: “You two cousins should come along too.”

Qin Shuying and Qin Lulu exchanged glances and agreed.

The four young ladies, wearing veiled hats and followed by maids, matrons, and guards, were quite eye-catching. But since there were quite a few high-ranking officials and nobles coming and going in this area, no one crowded around them.

Xu Peiwei led the way, with the others following closely, browsing around shops selling rouge and powder, silk fans and pearl flowers, chattering cheerfully and having a wonderful time.

With Qin Shuying having spoken, Lu Ye bought things even more recklessly, making Cai Luan and the others increasingly frustrated.

Just as everyone was chatting happily, suddenly a woman holding a broom chased after a ten-year-old child, shouting: “You little brat, you still dare to run?”

This woman was robust and, not caring that there were official family young ladies ahead, charged right in, forcing Qin Shuying and Qin Lulu to retreat with nowhere to go and nowhere to hide.

In the chaos, their veiled hats were knocked off by the woman’s broom and fell to the ground, exposing both their faces.

In an instant, Qin Shuying lowered her head and covered her face with her sleeves.

Qin Lulu rubbed her shoulder, grimacing in pain: “Where did this fierce woman come from?”

Before she finished speaking, the woman nearly caught the child, but the child twisted and turned back, hiding behind Qin Shuying.

The woman raised her broom to strike, but with Qin Shuying in the way, naturally couldn’t swing it down.

When the child went left, the woman went left.

When the child went right, the woman went right.

The child called out in a shrill voice: “You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me!”

The woman panted heavily: “You still dare to hide? You still dare to hide?”

The two circled around Qin Shuying, playing hide-and-seek.

Qin Shuying’s veiled hat fell to the ground and was trampled dirty by the two—it could no longer be used.

Ziteng quickly handed over the round fan she had just bought, then opened another one to shield Qin Shuying’s face.

After hiding like this two or three times, Lu Ye, holding a package of rouge powder, smacked it right at the woman’s face with a “slap.” The powder package burst open on the woman’s face, and with her eyes covered, she immediately began screaming like a slaughtered pig.

Qin Shuying took the opportunity to shield her face with the round fan and moved beside Qin Yunyun, glancing at the child with crystal-clear understanding.

That child had originally been behind Qin Shuying and hadn’t even seen her face clearly, yet his eyes narrowed as he shouted: “Sister-in-law, sister-in-law! You, how are you here? Mother and I have been looking for you for so long!”

As he spoke, he came forward to grab Qin Shuying’s hand.

But Qin Shuying dodged behind Qin Yunyun. Ziteng rushed over and dumped all the things she had just bought onto the child’s face. With her creating such a disturbance, the child couldn’t focus on Qin Shuying.

Qin Shuying said to Qin Yunyun: “Sixth Sister, how can the people here be so frightening? We should return quickly!”

Qin Yunyun also seemed stunned and quickly nodded: “Yes, yes, let’s go back immediately.”

Xu Peiwei was also dazed, as if waking from a dream: “Nanny Yang, quickly call the guards!”

After Ziteng’s disruption, when the child looked for Qin Shuying again, she had already turned and walked away.

The child wanted to chase after Qin Shuying, but Lu Ye fiercely threw a package of rouge at his face. In his urgency, the child quickly closed his eyes and blocked the powder with his hands. When he opened his eyes again, his vision was obscured by the flying powder.

Ziteng called to the guards behind: “Quickly go stop him!”

The guards rushed over to block the child: “Where did this child come from? This isn’t your sister-in-law—go away quickly, go away!”

But the child wouldn’t give up, crying loudly: “Mother, I found sister-in-law!”

When the woman heard this, she frantically wiped at the powder on her eyes but still couldn’t open them: “Your sister-in-law? Where? Where? Is it really true?”

The child cried: “It’s true, it’s sister-in-law! Sister-in-law, how can you be so heartless? Mother treated you so well. Even though brother is gone, how can you bear to abandon Mother and me?”

As Qin Shuying walked, she pondered and finally understood Qin Yunyun’s plan.

As expected, when the guards went to drive away the child and woman, the woman just shouted at the top of her lungs: “Yao Niang! Do you know we’ve been searching for you for years? You can’t be so heartless! Don’t leave, don’t leave…”

The guards couldn’t lay hands on a woman, so they could only spread their arms to drive her away: “What are you shouting about? This is an official family’s young lady, not your Yao Niang!”

But the woman said: “Yao Niang! When Da Lang died, you were eleven years old. Why did you run away? Did you follow some wealthy family? Yao Niang, you can’t be so heartless!”